AUS Open: Prajnesh to face Tiafoe in first round

Prajnesh Gunneswaran will take on USA's Frances Tiafoe in the first round of the Australian Open. The India No. 1 made it to the main draw of a Grand Slam for the very first time in his career on Friday after beating Yosuke Watanuki 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4 in the third and final qualifying round at Melbourne Park.

The sixth seed was the only Indian left in the final round of the singles qualifying event as Ankita Raina and Ramkumar Ramanathan had bowed out of the event on Thursday after second round losses. Prajnesh took two hours and 10 minutes to beat Watanuki.

The Chennai lad, ranked 112 in the world, had made it to the main draw of the 2018 French Open as a lucky loser, but left Paris to take part in a Challenger.

In the first round, Prajnesh had defeated Croatia's Victor Galovic and then in the penultimate round, he beat Enrique López Pérez 6-3, 6-3.